Ankle Sprains

About This Condition

What Is It?

The initial symptom of an ankle sprain is pain that comes and persists as a result of an injury, over-stretching, or twisting.

Causes

Unnatural twisting and stretching of the ankle bones is the most common cause of ankle sprains. Further to this is stretching or tearing of the ligaments outside of the ankle, if the ankle sprain is severe enough. The amount of damage is highly dependent on the severity of the sprain. The kind of treatment and duration of treatment also factor into this severity. For example, if the ankle is not properly treated within an appropriate amount of time, more long-term problems may develop.

Treatment

Treatment for an ankle sprain is straight-forward: elevate the ankle and apply ice – this will aid in reducing swelling. During the healing process, compressive bandages may be used in order to immobilize and support the ankle. However, serious ankle sprains, most common among athletes, could potentially require surgery to repair and tighten the ligaments.

To prevent an ankle sprain, we recommend that you maintain strength, flexibility, and balance in your foot and ankle area. This can be facilitated through certain forms of exercise, stretching, and above-all-else, wearing proper footwear!

At the Foot and Ankle Wellness Centre, we offer onsite x-rays, which only takes 10 minutes to take, with immediate results from Dr. Chaudhry. He will review the x-ray images with you in detail. Depending on the severity of the sprain, Dr. Chaudhry offers specialized wraps, Perineural injection treatments (which helps heal the sprain quicker), air-casts, and medications.